SGT Juan Arredondo

Spring Branch, TX

Mission Accomplished on June 9, 2023

Juan Arredondo was inspired to join the military by a Vietnam Veteran he interviewed for a high school project. After the Veteran shared his story and showed Juan his uniform, Juan knew it was the same path he wanted to take. He enlisted in the Army in 1998, deploying as an 14S Avenger Crewmember to Kosovo in 1999 and again to Iraq in 2004.

On Feb. 28, 2005, during his second deployment, Sergeant Arredondo was on patrol with D Company, 1/506th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, when his vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device (IED) in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. SGT Arredondo sustained multiple injuries in the blast to his arms and legs, including a severed hand and shrapnel damage to both his legs.

Juan spent a year in rehabilitation, re-learning daily activities and using a prosthesis on his arm. As a result of his injuries, he was honorably discharged in 2006, after seven years of service.

Juan is a proud father to two adult children, Rose and Diego. He currently works as the Major Gifts Officer for the Wounded Warrior Project. In the future, he would like to start a nonprofit organization.

Juan believes living in a specially adapted custom Homes For Our Troops home will help him pursue his plans. In his previous non-adapted home, he could not utilize his wheelchair to ease the stress on his injured legs. His single-level HFOT home with wide doorways and an open floor plan allows him to use his wheelchair, which will be beneficial as he ages. “I don’t have to walk upstairs or over the lips of doorways where I can catch my brace on my right leg,” he says. “I can also enjoy the open floor plan of my home and have full access to the whole house whereas in my former home, I couldn’t access the upstairs. The carpet in my former home would make it hard to walk without having the fear of falling and the narrow doorways would make it hard to walk in with my balance issues. My new HFOT has provided so many freedoms that I can enjoy and removed all obstacles.”

Originally from California, Juan chose to build his home in Texas to be close to healthcare and family. He also appreciates that the community is patriotic and supportive of Veterans.

Juan says the donated home brings financial stability and peace of mind. “I have moved all over the world and the United States, never really having a place to call home. I could not say ‘thank you’ enough times to HFOT’s donors and supporters,” he says.